Fosters playlist
by Gleek foster kid
Summary: A collection of one shot music fics featuring the Adams Foster family
1. Chapter 1

**AN- This is a collection of music one shots. I've been wanting to do these next two for a while now but could never figure out how to do it with my story of Lena having cancer, because both fit with Stef being sick and/or dying. UKendeavour has graciously let me use her idea of Stef having cancer. She is also letting me borrow her character, Charlie, Stef and Lena's son. This is placed on \ the one year anniversary of Stef's death from Lena's POV. The song is "He get's that From You" By Reba McEntire. I've been having a couple good days so I've been able to write more than I have been. I have chemo on Saturday, so I don't know when I'll be able to write after that.**

_His early mornin' attitude  
You have to drag him out of bed  
Only frosted flakes will do  
He gets that from __you__  
Yeah, he gets that from __you._

"Charlie, come on, Bud. It's time to get up," I told him from his doorway. He's always been like you. But I refuse, Stefanie Marie Adams-Foster. Our son is not being woken up with a cup of coffee every morning. It was bad enough I let you get in the habit, it's hard to believe that at one point we thought it was hard to get Jesus up.

"5 more minutes," he grumbled, burying his head under the pillow, hiding from the light, "I didn't sleep." The admission wouldn't have come out if he was fully awake. Like you, he doesn't let anyone see his weak side. Well, you let me. But I don't think he will. Maybe, with the person he marries.

"Me neither, Buddy," I told him. Both of our thoughts were on you. WHen Callie came over last night I heard them talking late into the night. I didn't stop him, even though we agreed bed by ten, "But we have to get up. You have to leave for school in an hour."

"Ok, ok, I'm up," Did he used to sit outside our bedroom and listen to you in the morning? "Is there-"

"Captain crunch is already sitting on the kitchen table waiting for you," I cut him off. It's always been your guys' comfort food, and I figured today I would let him eat processed garbage for breakfast.

"Thanks Mom," Charlie told me, making me smile.

"Downstairs in 20 minutes, got it?" __

_His curly hair and his knobby knees  
The way the sun brings those freckles out  
Talk and talk never miss a beat  
Yeah, he gets that from me  
He gets that from me_

He is still half asleep as he came downstairs twenty minutes later, "Do you ever dry your hair?" I asked him as water drips from his curls.

"Yeah, just when you aren't around," Charlie gave your signature smirk before looking down to his food.

"At least your showering," I shoot back before grabbing a dishtowel and handing it to him "dry your hair." It used to drive you crazy. But I was the same way.

"I need new jeans, Momma, these are getting too short," Of course they are, these are the third size up in a year. He's going to be even taller than me.

__

_He looks at me with those big brown eyes  
He's got me in the palm of his hands  
And I swear sometimes  
It's just like you're here again  
He smiles that little crooked smile  
There's no denying he's your child  
Without him I don't know what I'd do  
He gets that from you  
Oh, he gets that from you_

I wasn't going to take him today. I was going to make sure he went to school. That's what it's been the last year. Trying to make sure we both went on with life. I think he knew I was going, and when he saw your favorite purple flowers at the flower stand on the sidewalk, he had to get them.

"Momma, look it's Mom's favorite. Can we get them for her?" he asked with big eyes, the same look that could get me to do anything you asked.

"Bud, we're on our way to school," I tried to reason with him.

"I'll use my own money, I want to go, please?"

"Bud-"

"It's been a year today. And it's been months since we went." I don't tell him it's been months since I took him. I saw you last week.

"Ok. But you're not paying, here," I told him as I handed him $20. __

_How he loves your old guitar  
Yeah, he's taught himself to play  
He melts my heart  
Tells me he love me every day  
And cracks jokes at the perfect time  
Makes me laugh when I want to cry  
That boy is everything to me  
He gets that from you  
He gets that from you_

I heard him talking to our Callie Girl last night Stef. He wants to go into the academy when he graduates. God, Stef, our son is going to try and give me a heat attack. It was bad enough with you. But our baby!

"Here," Charlie told Callie and I saw him hand over a pamphlet.

"What's this?" Callie asked him as I watched her look through it.

"I picked it up at career day the other day. I want to do what Mom did. I want to be a police officer."

"Have you told this to Momma?" Callie asked when Charlie shook his head.

"Momma's been..." Charlie tried.

"Tomorrow it's been a year."

"I didn't know," Charlie snarked. __

_Last night I heard him pray  
Lord, help me and mama make it through  
And tell daddy we'll be okay  
He said he sure misses you  
He sure misses you  
He really misses you  
He gets that from me _

"Do you think... Do you think it'll get easier after tomorrow?" Charlie asked Callie, who wrapped her arm over his shoulder.

"I think she misses Mom. But I think it'll get easier. We just have to rally around her."

"I just want her to be ok. I miss Mom, a lot. So I can't imagine how much she does."

I miss you Stef. I miss you every day. I love you.


	2. That's how I wanna go out

**AN- so this is the second songfic that UKendeavor is allowing me to use her story line of Stef having cancer later in life. It****'s a song I listen to on repeat all the time. I had chemo yesterday and trying to stay up while kids work on start of school packing (They went with their other mom earlier today and got all their school supplies). I have gotten a couple rude guest reviews. Yeah, sometimes my writing sucks, and yes, my writing has gotten a little worse the last month. Oh well. If you don't like something don't read it. Someone asked if they could finish my stories bcause they love them but my writing has gone downhill. Umm... No, thank you.**

_The doctor said, "We've run out of options  
But we can stop the __pain__ and help you sleep"  
That ol' man laughed, and slowly put his shirt on  
Said, "Son, dyin' here with you don't comfort me_

"Are you sure you don't want a full time nurse?" Marlene, her part time home nurse asked Stef, "This is going to get harder and more difficult as the next month or so goes on."

Stef sighed a little. Her and Lena had talked about it in length many times, "Marlene, Honey, I know you're just trying to help but the more time I spend with my family, the better."

"I know, Stef," Marlene smiled sadly. Stef couldn't help how much the 25-year-old reminded her of her oldest daughter. The last 6 months Marlene had come three times a week to check on her and help do anything she could, "I just can't help but think that you would be much more comfortable if someone was here with you. Someone in medicine." __

_I'll turn 88 next Tuesday if the good Lord let's me tarry  
And I'll spend it on the front porch with my arm around my Mary  
I've learned a lot 'bout livin' but the only thing I'm sure about now  
Is I came into this __world__ in the arms of a woman who loved me -  
And that's how I wanna go out  
That's how I wanna go out"_

"With Lena here I'll be just fine," Stef smiled as she looked over at her Love, standing in the kitchen with Callie as they did the dishes and talked, "You know, we've been together 32 years."

"Yeah? 32 years and 6 kids, that's quite an accomplishment," Marlene said as she started gathering Stef's evening medication, "How long have you guys been married?"

"22," Stef responded as she glanced down and started taking the pills from Marlene.

"10 years to get married? It took you ten years to realize you wanted her forever?" Marlene asked a little shocked.

Stef laughed a little, "No, I never planned on marrying her at first. I thought neither of us wanted it. We always said we were married in our hearts. Until a pretty hectic week," Stef said, running her finger over her scar through her shirt.

"Do I finally get to hear how you got that?" Marlene asked a little in interest. Stef was usually a very private person, and she respected that. Their conversations always were about more upbeat things. All she had ever heard about the scar was she got it on the job. __

_He said, "I once backpacked across Europe  
With my buddies in the 2nd infantry  
Back when it was rainin' German bullets  
I never should have made it past nineteen_

"Lena's ex came to town not long after we got Callie and Jude," Stef said, sitting back a little, "Gretchen, lovely as she is, decided to question why we weren't married. I had always assumed Lena didn't want to get married. She never told me other wise."

"Every woman wants to get married!" Marlene told her.

"Shush, are you going to listen to the story or make fun of me for being naive," Stef scolded with a small laugh, "We got in an argument. And before we could settle it Mariana came in. Her and Jesus had been in touch with their birth mom and Jesus was at a crack house. I went to go get him, without waiting for back up,"

"Only you, Stef, would go into a drug house without back up," Marlene shook her head, letting out a bit of a chuckle and closing her mouth when Stef gave her signature 'shut up' glare.

"I went in, and ended up getting shot by their mother's boyfriend. The next thing I knew Lena was standing over me telling me I was ok. That I had been shot but I was going to be fine. Not that she actually really knew that. I probably shouldn't have made it out of there."

_But I lived to see an angel at the __altar__  
And lovin' her is the reason I'm alive  
__Doc__, it feels like I'm just gettin' started  
So sittin' here with you, I'm just wastin' time  
_

"The first thing I asked was would she marry me. She said she thought I would never ask and shot back some retort."

"Of course you did."

"A month later we got married in our back yard. Pretty much everyone was there. My dad couldn't make it but you know..." Stef said as she closed her eyes, the pills starting to make her tired. _  
I'll turn 88 next Tuesday if the good Lord let's me tarry  
And I'll spend it on the front porch with my arm around my Mary  
I've learned a lot 'bout livin' but the only thing I'm sure about now  
Is I came into this world in the arms of a woman who loved me -  
And that's how I wanna go out  
That's how I wanna go out_

"I should let you get some rest, Stef. Plus I'm pretty sure Timir is waiting for me to get home and check his homework."

"How is my little bud doing?" Stef asked. The 7 year old came every so often when Marlene couldn't find a babysitter. It wasn't exactly protocol but when Stef found out she was having a rough month and couldn't find a sitter she told her to bring the boy, who Lena doted over.

"He's doing well. He wants to know when he can come see you next."

"Bring him any time. You know that. Lena would enjoy seeing him."

"I'll being him Tuesday, how about that?" Marlene asked as she grabbed her bag and hugged the older woman gently. "I'll see you soon." __

_I've learned a lot 'bout livin' but the only thing I'm sure about now  
Is I came into this world in the arms of a woman who loved me -  
And that's how I wanna go out  
That's how I wanna go out  
That's how I wanna go out"_


	3. This aint nothin

**AN- hey everyone. I hope you like this one-shot done with the song ****"This ain't nothing" by Craig Morgan. I wanted to get it done before the episode this week with what looks like a fire. I am using a new program my wife got me that you talk and it writes it out. So I am sorry if something goes weird. I'm still working out how to use it. I'm doing a little better. I'm out of ICU in a normal room, I ended up with a bad virus. Pretty much my immune system is wiped out from chemo and I caught something. **

_Bottom of Form 1_

_He was standin' in the rubble  
Of an old farmhouse outside Birmingham  
When some on-the-scene reporter  
Stuck a camera in the face of that old man_

"I found her," Stef said with a sigh of relief to Lena. She sat in the car across the street watching her oldest daughter stand in front of the ruined house. "She's at the house."

"She didn't come in at lunch to get her bandages changed. You need to bring her back here."

"I know, Love. I'll talk to you soon." Stef said, hanging up the phone and sitting for a moment. Bandages covered large areas of burnt flesh on herself and her daughter. Callie's hair was now cut short and shaggy, after flames burnt half of it. It had been a week since the fire, 2 days since Callie was released from the burn unit at the local hospital. Looking at the house made Stef remember that moment.

She and Lena had both been downstairs when the first started. She remembered how quickly it moved. Yesterday the arson squad declared it intentional. Callie made sure all the other kids were downstairs before she would come down herself. By that time the stairs were unstable and she was almost all the way down when they collapsed. She was able to get Callie up and out before Callie went unconscious.

_He said, "Tell the folks, please mister, what are you gonna do  
Now that this twister has taken all that's dear to you"  
The old man just smiled and said, "Boy, let me tell you somethin'  
This ain't nothin'"_

"How did you find me?" Callie asked without looking over at her mom. Stef wrapped her arm loosely around Callie's waist. After a week she knew where she could wrap her arm around her daughter without Callie flinching. She held her through the procedures from the hospitals, her wounds being scrubbed out every day, wrapping and re-wrapping where the damaged skin wound peel off with the bandages. The whirlpool that they put her in.

"You forgot to go to Momma's office to have your bandages changed and take your pain meds. So I called Wyatt to see if I should at least bring your pain meds and he said you decided to come back to the hotel," Stef replied.

"It's so crowded at the hotel, I just needed a little space," Callie said softly, "I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's ok to need space. Love, you just need to tell us where you are," Stef said, pressing a kiss to Callie's temple and letting the silence wash over for a few moments.

"I remember the first time I walked through those doors," Callie said after a minute.

"Yeah? I remember the scared looking girl sitting at my kitchen table," Stef smiled at the memory. At first site she wasn't sure about Callie. But within a day she realized the girl had a big heart, that her heart was just taken advantage of too many times.

"I know it's just a house. But it's the first place I felt safe in," Callie said as she stared at the rubble.

"You know me and Momma always always wanted that for the kids that came to us? For them to feel safe and loved? When B was little my worries were broken bones, natural disasters. Then Me and Momma decided to do foster care and we learned that there was a whole different set of pains we needed to save kids from."

_He said, "I lost my daddy when I was eight years old  
That cave-in at the Kincaid Mine left a big ol' hole  
And I lost my baby brother, my best friend, and my left hand  
In a no-win situation in a place called Vietnam"_

"How long did you and Momma do foster care?"

"Me and Momma started when B was 6 years old. We had eight kids in and out before I found Mari and Jesus at the police station."

"The police station? Weren't they 6?" Callie asked. She didn't know much about her siblings background. There was an unwritten rule in the foster care system. You don't ask about other kids' past. It was probably different now that they were siblings. But she had never gotten the courage to ask.

"Their foster mother dropped them off said they couldn't deal with them anymore. I took them from the station. Jesus, you would never know it now but he was once a withdrawn little boy. Two days after we got him he was riled up like he gets and Momma asked him to go find something quiet to do. Two hours later we were frantically searching the house because we couldn't find him. We found him in he closet. He told us whenever he got hyper him foster mother would lock him in the hall closet."

Callie shook her head. She couldn't imagine it for her brother, well, she could. But she didn't want to.

_"And last year, I watched my lovin' wife  
Of fifty years waste away and die  
And I held her hand 'til her heart of gold stopped pumpin'  
So, this ain't nothin'"_

"Me and Momma didn't drink for 6 months after we got the twins."

Callie looked at her mom a little in surprise. Her moms weren't heavy drinkers but a few times a week they would have a glass of wine or a beer.

"Mariana would hide under her bed every time we did. One of her old foster fathers would hit her when he was drunk. The first time I found her, I cried. That that small baby had to go through that."

Callie nodded, not sure of what to say.

_He said, "I learned at an early age  
There's things that matter, and there's things that don't  
So if you're waitin' here for me to cry  
I hate to disappoint you boy, but I won't"_

"I used to think that my life was hard and unfair, until I met my babies, and I realized what was somewhat unfair is I didn't get to worry about the normal things I had to worry about with B. I had to watch you guys struggle with things no one has should have to go through."

"Your family wasn't all that easy either, Mom," Callie said softly.

"Are you talking about Frank?" Stef asked, watching as Callie nodded. "My dad was... Difficult, but really, I had a mother who loved me, friends. My dad missed out, on me and some great grandchildren."

_Then he reached down in the rubble and picked up a photograph  
Wiped the dirt off of it with the hand that he still had  
He put it to his lips and he said, "Man she was somethin'  
But, this ain't nothin'"_

"But you are right, Bug. It wasn't always easy. A week after me and Momma got Mariana and Jesus we were attacked. We had walked out of Lapellas, a restaurant, and two guys jumped us. They beat me and Momma up pretty bad."

"Is that why Momma doesn't like showing you affection in public?" Callie asked.

"That's part of it. She blamed herself for me getting hurt. She couldn't understand why I covered her body with mine. I ended up with some bad internal bleeding and a broken wrist. Momma came out with some scrapes and bruises but was otherwise ok, besides the nightmares."

_He said, "I lost my daddy when I was eight years old  
That cave-in at the Kincaid Mine left a big ol' hole  
And I lost my baby brother, my best friend, and my left hand  
In a no-win situation in a place called Vietnam"_

"I thought I had seen everything that would break my heart until I walked in on a conversation between Momma and Jude about wearing nail polish."

"He didn't want to worry you guys," Callie said softly. Really, she knew what he didn't want at that point. He didn't want to rock the boat and tell them he was getting beat up, because in any other home it would be grounds for them moving.

"Your Momma felt so bad that night. I held her for hours until she finally fell asleep. She just wanted him to feel like he could be himself."

"You guys gave him that, though. You are," Callie told her, "One day he'll be brave enough to tell us what he is, whether that's gay or he likes to cross dress."

"He is an easier one to comfort. I wish you were as easy," Stef said as she pulled Callie closer and kissed her temple, letting her lips rest on Callie's hair line.

_"And last year, I watched my lovin' wife  
Of fifty years waste away and die  
We were holdin' hands when her heart of gold stopped pumpin'  
So, this ain't nothin'"_

"What do you mean?" Callie asked.

"I can help Jude become who he wants. I can assure Mariana and Jesus they can be whoever they want to be and I won't hurt or try and change them. But you, Baby, you just saw a different type of horror. And I wish you would talk to me about it."

_He said, "This ain't nothin' time won't erase  
And this ain't nothin' money can't replace"_

"I broke up with Wyatt," Callie whispered after a moment.

"Why is that, Baby?" Stef asked surprised.

"We... We were going to have sex," Callie said, a blush creeping over her face, "And I just felt like I couldn't breath. And even though nothing had happened yet I felt like I was being torn apart."

"I'm sorry, Baby. Do you know why that happened?" Stef asked.

Callie nodded, widening her eyes to stop tears, "I didn't at first, but the next day at work. I thought I saw Liam, four or five times."

Stef didn't speak but wrapped both arms around her, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Momma the day she lost the baby," she whispered after a couple minutes. Callie looked up, Frankie was rarely talked about, and Momma had seemed to be doing really well.

_He said, "You sit and watch your lovin' wife  
Of fifty years fightin' for her life  
Then you hold her hand 'til her heart of gold stops pumpin'  
Yeah, boy that's somethin'"_

"I can't save you from everything. That is one part of being a mom or wife I learned. Is as much as I want to save you from your past, or feeling that way when you want to be close to someone. As much as I want to save Momma from the tears when she falls asleep crying, or wakes up from a nightmare. I can't. But what I can do is be your safety right here. You can come to me and talk and cry and scream at the world. I will always be here. You can give the pain to me for a while. That's what I'm here for, is to help you carry whatever it is."

"_But this ain't nothin'"_

An hour later they were back at the motel and Stef and Lena had finished helping Callie change the bandages and apply cream to all the raised her eyebrows at Stef as Callie wrapped her arms around Lena and buried her face in Lena's curls. Stef just shook her head. It was too complicated to explain at the moment without embarrassing Callie. Instead she carefully wrapped her arms around Callie from behind and leaned close to her ear, "That house isn't what kept you safe. Me and Momma, right here, are your safety. You are always safe with us, Love." 


	4. Love lives on

_ I reached for you this morning, woke up with empty arms. Once again it's sinkin in how far away you are. I still pour two cups of coffee, and tell you all about my dreams. This kitchen's way to quiet. You should still be here with me. _

Stef stretched in the early morning light. Instinctively she reached out, pulling the warm body to her. It took half a second to realize the body was that of her youngest child, "Mommy?"

"Good morning, Baby Girl," Stef smiled as 3-year-old Frankie snuggled into her side, the tight curls tickling the bare skin of Stef's neck. Stef smoothed hair down, kissing Frankie's forehead.

In the kitchen she had set the table for herself, Jude, and Frankie and started on pancakes. "No coffee, Jude-i-corn!" the demanding voice of Frankie pulled Stef out of where she had been watching bubbles form in the pancakes. Turning her head she saw Jude putting a purple coffee mug in the sink.

"No coffee," Jude smiled, picking up his baby sister and setting her on the counter, "Mommy was being silly. She poured herself two cups to drink." Stef stared past the stove in front of her, blanking out. "You're burning that, Mom." Jude said, hugging her with one arm.

"Blackened pancakes, like blackened chicken," Stef shot back quickly in defense, dumping the ruined pancake in the garbage.

"Blueberry and candied walnut pancakes with real maple syrup. Birthday pancakes," Jude commented, looking at the batter, "Momma's birthday pancakes."

"Everyone likes them," Stef defended.

"My favorite," Jude agreed with a smile.

"Hey, Jude? Mom?" Jude and Stef turned to see Callie walking in the house.

"Sissy!"

"Hi Cute Stuff," Callie grinned when Frankie threw herself in Callie's arms.

"What are you doing home?" Stef asked Callie as she hugged her. Callie went to school about an hour's drive away.

"For those," Callie said, pointing to the pancakes. "I E-mailed my psych prof last night. I haven't been feeling well. He said it was fine."

"And driving here is helping?" Stef asked.

"Yes," Callie said, kissing Stef's cheek, "Mmm, Can I have that?" Callie asked, grabbing the cup of coffee.

"It's already sweetened," Stef warned. Callie shrugged, taking a sip.

"Sweeter than you usually drink. You must have known I was coming," Callie smiled.

_And even though I cry like crazy, even though it hurts so bad. I'm thankful for the time God gave me. Even though we couldn't make it last. I'm learning how to live without you. Even though I don't want to. And even if you're gone. Love lives on. _

"She put it in Momma's favorite mug," Jude whispered to Callie when she set a glass of orange juice in front of Jude and on Frankie's highchair. Callie smiled sadly, kissing the top of his head.

"I know."

'6 months ago principle of Anchor Beach Charter school was shot and killed by Joe Metzger, father of a teenager who was expelled and sent to juvie for arson. Today Lena would have been 47 years old. She leaves behind six children. 20 year olds Callie and Brandon, 18 year olds Jesus and Mariana, 16 year old Jude, and three year old Fransesca. She also left behind her wife, Sargent of the San Diago police force, Stefanie Adams-Foster.' Callie looked over at Stef who had froze. 'Metzger lost his trial yesterday and was sentenced to life without parole. Our hearts go out to her family and all who knew her." Grabbing her Ipod from her pocket, Callie loaded it into the ipod dock and turning on the first thing that came up.

"I'm going to go get dressed," Stef said, setting the pancakes on the table before walking up the stairs. Once Conner had picked Jude up, Callie cleaned Frankie's face and hands before starting on the dishes.

_I still call your mom on Sundays. Yeah it's good to hear her voice. She always tells me that same story, about her stuborn little boy. And I've kept your favorite t-shirt. You know the one I used to hate. Ain't it funny how, it's the one thing now. I just can't throw away._

"Babykini!" Frankie stomped her foot, holding up her swimsuit.

"No, Love, we have stuff to do today, we need to put clothes on. Do you want your dress or jeans?" Stef asked, holding up two outfits.

"Babykini!" Frankie screamed and started to cry. Stef tried not to pull her hair out when the phone rang.

"Hi Honey," Stef swallowed at the sound of her father-in-law's voice.

"Hi Stewart, how are you?" Stef asked as cheerfully as she could muster.

"Good, I thought I would check to see how my Frankie is doing."

"At the moment she's throwing a fit because she doesn't get to wear her Dora swimsuit for the 110th day in a row."

Stef listened as Stewart went off on a story about Lena at three, insisting to wear a tutu everyday. "Are you and Dana doing alright?" Stef asked 10 minutes later when he had finished the story.

"We're hanging in there, Hun. Just working to keep busy today. How are you guys?"

_And even though I cry like crazy, even though it hurts so bad. I'm thankful for the time God gave me. Even though we couldn't make it last. I'm learning how to live without you. Even though I don't want to. And even if you're gone. Love lives on. _

"Callie took the day off to come up. Frankie's doing fine. All the other kids are at school. The twins and B called last night. Jude is struggling the most outwardly." Stewart didn't comment on the fact that Stef didn't mention how she was doing.

"I have a client here, I have to run. Call me if anyone needs anything."

Stef said goodbye and rangled Frankie into a sundress before throwing on a faded pair of jeans. Riffling through her drawers her eyes halted on a pale blue sweatshirt. The picture of the Effle Tower faded. It used to make her jealous, that Lena kept a sweatshirt Gretchen bought her 15 years ago. But now, it was like Lena penetrated it over the years. The fibers help small pieces of her wife.

_She comes with me on your birthday, little flowers in her hand. She's always known there's something missing, but too young to understand. And some days she's gonna aske me, what kind of man you were. I'll tell her all the ways I loved you. And all the you I see in her._

Stef and Frankie walked through the cemetery; Frankie carried a few pink and purple flowers she'd chosen at the flower shop. Stef carried what she had been buying for 15 years, a dozen roses, half red, half yellow.

"Momma?" Frankie asked as they came to her gravestone. Embedded in it was a photograph of Lena that Callie had taken last Christmas.

"Yeah, that's Momma's picture," Stef smiled, kissing Frankie's cheek. It was obvious her older child had already made a trip this morning. Orange flowers, a picture of their 6 children, and an envelope addressed "Momma" laid by the sat with Frankie as long as the little girl would sit still before standing, Frankie kipping ahead of her.

_And even though I cry like crazy, even though it hurts so bad. I'm thankful for the time God gave me. Even though we couldn't make it last. I'm learning how to live without you. Even though I don't want to. And even if you're gone. Love lives on._

"We can watch her for a while, if you want," Stef turned to see Callie and Jude sitting on a bench, both red eyed. Stef sat between her children and wrapped her arms around Jude who cried against her chest. She shushed and rocked him until he sat silently in her embrace. Stef watched Frankie follow a butterfly. It wasn't the first time she noticed the similarities between her youngest child and her wife. And only Lena could have given her the total love for nature.


	5. Chapter 5

AN- So this is a little song fic. I just heard the song "The Very Last Country Song" by Sugerland. And basically it's a compilation of ideas me and Momma had for stories. Kind of rolled up in one.

Today is my birthday and all that I want  
Is to dig through this big box of pictures  
In my kitchen 'til the daylight's gone

It was 6 am when Callie woke on her 50h birthday. She drug herself out of bed for the first year that all three of her kids were living outside of the house. 'I guess I'll be making myself birthday pancakes,' she mused to herself. She had taken over her mom's tradition, and had made birthday pancakes for each of her kids on their day. As her kids turned into teenagers, they had started making her's.

Her eyes fell on stacks of photo boxes on the kitchen table. Her first granddaughter, Cailin, was making a family tree for first grade, and had come over the day before. Callie had forgotten to make sure Ashley, her oldest, and Cailin picked everything up.

This one here's my mama  
With the long, brown hair  
I'm 40 years older today than she was in that picture there 

Starting to put pictures back in boxes her eyes caught hold of a picture from her adoption, she smiled softly at he picture of herself and her Momma, Lena. She still thought about her often, she knew her mom and siblings did too. Even more than 35 years later.

Her finger traced a curl that had fallen into her face when her Momma hugged her. "The mane" Momma used to joke.

But if life stayed the way it was  
And lovers never fell out of love  
If memories didn't last so long  
If nobody did nobody wrong  
If we knew what we had before it was gone  
If every road led back home  
This would be  
The very last country song 

It amazed her that they got Mom out of the deep depression after Momma died. There were days she didn't think they would. She would go for days, trying to fix things in the house, trying to do everything she could, until she crashed. Where they couldn't pull her out of bed.

Callie had went off to college, guiltily leaving for days at a time. Every weekend when she would return Mom would try to act like she was fine, when she obviously wasn't. And one weekend, Callie had enough. She had had enough of her Mom being as stubborn as she was, as self destructive. Callie had to smile at the memory, basically dragging her mom to therapy. It took a while, and a year or so on depression medications. But her mom did make it back to them.

These are all my babies  
Lord knows how we survived  
The first one was hard and that last wasn't planned  
What a big surprise  
That's him with his daddy's eyes 

A foot and a half infront of her sat another picture. All of her babies. Ashley Elizabeth stood in the middle, a smirk she could have only gotten from her on her face. One arm was thrown around Coleen Marie, her middle daughter, quiet and sweet, just like her Uncle Jude. Justin Calvin, her youngest, stood, towering a good 5 inches over his older sisters. He was the spitting image of his father, A man that he never really had a chance to know.

I loved the man in this one  
It's faded but I don't care  
There are nights when I wake up and know he's beside me I swear  
Sometimes I still feel him there

Adam was a red haired, fair skinned, ex Amish man. He left the Amish community when he was 16, before he left the church. Callie had met him in college, the reason he left his community, so he could go to school. He was the sweetest man she had ever known, except maybe Jude. He had a quaint way of speaking that made her heart melt.

He healed her in some ways. She never dated seriously, not after what happened with Liam. His sweet and gentleness made her feel like she had some say in everything that was done, though his take charge attitude and his need to get things done made her feel like the weight didn't have to just be on her shoulders. Adam was a bridge builder, and nothing would make her forget the call that there had been crushed her. When he had been killed on the job.

Sometimes it didn't seem like he was gone. She heard him in Coleen's mannerisms, she saw in in Justin.

If we knew what we had before it was gone  
If every road led back home  
This would be the very last country song

"I picked Gramma up!" Coleen's voice brought her out of her daydream along with bumping of Coleen trying to push her grandmother's wheelchair over the doorway.

"Yeah, she's trying to butter gramma up so she can have more cake!" Ashley called.

"Cake? We get cake? I want cake! Nana? Can I have cake?" Cailin asked, running over and throwing herself into her grandmother's arms.

"We have to eat dinner first, KK," Justin said walking into the house holding a present.

"Uncle Justin!" Cailin squealed, squirming out of Callie's arms to run to Justin who threw her over a shoulder.

"Hi, Mom," Callie smiled, leaning over to kiss Stef's cheek.

"Hi, My Baby," Stef smiled.

"How's it going?" Callie asked as Stef pushed herself with her feet over to the table.

"Really? You have to ask? Did you see the disaster that was the Padres game this afternoon?" Stef asked with a shake of her head.

"I lost track of time," Callie said shaking her head, smiling when she saw Mariana and Jesus coming into the house.

"Looking at pictures again?" her mom asked with a half smirk, seeing the pictures that were thrown across the kitchen table.

"Maybe," Callie smiled.

"Guys, come help me bring food in from the truck," Jude called as he walked in, refering to her catering truck.

"Food! Let's go, I want cake!" Cailin exclaimed loudly.


End file.
